本章内容主要包括两点：一是对水的赞美；二是“正言若反”。本章大意：遍天下再没有什么东西比水更柔弱了，而攻坚克强却没有什么东西可以胜过水。弱胜过强，柔胜过刚，遍天下没有人不知道，但是没有人能实行。所以有道的圣人这样说：“承担全国的屈辱，才能成为国家的君主，承担全国的祸灾，才能成为天下的君王。”正面的话好像在反说一样。
《道德经》（第七十八章）
天下莫柔弱于水，
而攻坚强者莫之能胜，
以其无以易之。
柔之胜刚，
天下莫不知，
而莫能行。
是以圣人云：
爱国之垢，
是谓社稷主；
受国之不祥，
是谓天下王。
正言若反。
Chapter 78
Nothing under heaven is softer or weaker than water,
and yet nothing is better for attacking what is hard and strong,
because of its immutability.
The defeat of the hard by the soft,
The defeat of the strong by the weak—
this is known to all under heaven, yet no one is able to practice it.
Therefore,
in the words of the sage, it is said:
“He who bears abuse directed against the state is called ‘lord of the altars for the gods of soil and grain;
He who bears the misfortunes of the state is called the ‘king of all under heaven.”
True words seem contradictory.
